“And Reyansh! You look so handsome tonight. I can see girls trying hard to get my boyfriend’s attention.” Aditi giggles.
Meanwhile, all I want is Amyra to look at me.
“You look great too,” I reply sincerely, for which Aditi blushes.
“But that silver chain… I always feel it clashes with your outfits. Why not try removing it?” she suggests lightly. She doesn’t know that it’s part of me. Amyra once called it my identity. She always admired that I wear jewellery confidently despite me being a man.
“But I like carrying myself this way,” I whisper, already glancing back toward Amyra. My brows furrow. A clearly drunk man is talking to her. She looks uncomfortable.
Damn it.
I yank myself free from Aditi’s grip and rise abruptly.
“Ames is in trouble!” I call out before rushing toward her. I step between them, shielding her behind me.
“What the hell are you doing?” I bark, fisting the guy’s collar. A small gasp escapes Amyra as she moves beside me.
“You touch me, I-I’ll show you who I am—” he slurs, eyes drooping.
“Rey! Leave him! He’s not in his senses.” Amyra grabs my arm, trying to stop me, but I stay glaring at him.
“He messed with you. I’m not letting him escape,” I growl, raising a fist.
“What is happening, Reyansh? Put your hand down!” Aditi shrieks, irritation evident.
“You want me to ignore someone who troubled Ames?” My voice booms louder than intended. The drunkard blinks clumsily, swaying his body abnormally.
“He’s drunk, and he didn’t even touch me improperly. Let him go,” Amyra insists, tugging again—this time by my waist. He suddenly loses balance and collapses. Instinctively, I pull Amyra close with an arm around her shoulders. A bouncer rushes over, apologizing before hauling the man away.
“Are you alright?” I murmur, turning to Amyra with worry pounding in my chest. My hands instantly cradle her face before I even think.
“Yes. He only stumbled toward me, and I warned him to stay away, but he lingered,” she explains, gently stepping back as her gaze shifts to the left side. Aditi stands there, arms folded and her eyes stormy.
“You should’ve informed security instead of taking everything into your own hands. Control your temper, Reyansh,” she scolds, disappointment dripping from every word.
“I can’t stay silent when Ames is in trouble, Aditi. It’s been like this forever,” I say flatly. No one gets to dictate how I protect Amyra—it’s a reflex, and it will always be one.
“You need to control your emo—”
“A lot has happened already. I don’t want you both here anymore. Go home,” I cut in sharply. Staying here longer doesn’t feel safe.
“Rey, come on! I should be the one leaving if you think properly. You stay with Aditi. I’ll take the car and leave first—”
“You think I’ll let you leave alone after what just happened? Absolutely not. Also Aditi and I didn’t have any big plans except meeting you today.” I glance at her, softening my tone. “Aditi, please go with her.” She stares at me, disbelief flashing across her face.
“You’re wrong, Rey. Aditi wanted to have dinner with you after this, so I planned to leave early. And now you want to cancel those plans because of me—”
“Leave it, Amyra Di,” Aditi snaps bitterly. “He clearly doesn’t want to spend time with me anymore. Let’s go.” Without waiting for a response, she turns and walks away, not even bothering to utter a goodbye. My gaze returns to Amyra, who looks shaken, eyes clouded with disappointment and something deeper.
“What are you doing, Reyansh? Why would you hurt my sister like that? Weren’t you trying to balance things? Then why didn’t you? She’s your girlfriend. You’re supposed to prioritize her,” she says, voice tight with frustration.
The weight of her accusation lands hard, but I still can’t see what I did wrong, except for not having intentions to spend time with Aditi after this nightclub meeting.
“But Ames… shouldn’t she understand how important you are to me as my best friend? I’ll never stop caring for you just because I’m dating someone.” Being in a relationship shouldn’t mean abandoning my best friend.
“I knew this would happen. That’s why I avoid joining you both,” she sighs, and something sharp twists in my chest.
“What?” Did she really expect this chaos from the start? Why would she think so? Why did she assume that the three of us being together would go wrong?
